SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Brian Kelly likely spoke for a lot of people when he said that Louis Nix in New York would be "cool." But the gregarious redshirt junior will not be in the Bronx to face Rutgers with his Notre Dame teammates after signing with an agent.

Kelly made it clear Sunday that he was not involved in the agent conversations with Nix, whose decision to go to the NFL was expected, but just maybe not this soon.

"There's a lot of factors that are involved there," Kelly said. "I think the most important choice he made was coming to Notre Dame and getting his degree. The rest of those, you know what I mean, they're splitting hairs. We'll find out, right? You're taking a gamble no matter what. But the most important decisions he had to make, I thought he got them right. That was coming to Notre Dame, getting his degree. I think he hit a home run on those."

Nix would have missed the New Era Pinstripe Bowl anyway because of surgery to repair a meniscus tear in his left knee, which kept him out of the Irish's last two games.

"He had an injury and wouldn't be able to play. He did what was best for him," left tackle Zack Martin said. "Wish him all the best of luck. He's a great player and know he's going to do great things."

Notes

Stephon Tuitt remains undecided about his Notre Dame future, Kelly said. Left guard Chris Watt's MCL sprain will keep him out of his final Notre Dame game. Kelly will visit Everett Golson on Monday in the quarterback's Myrtle Beach, S.C., home. Golson may visit his girlfriend in New York around Christmas and could meet the team there, provided he pays his own way. Mike Denbrock is the offensive coordinator and Kelly will coach the quarterbacks with Chuck Martin off to become head coach at Miami (Ohio), but Kelly remains undecided on how he will handle Martin's vacant position moving forward, saying any new hire would come after the bowl game.